Fight Bac!

Seven years ago extension agent Dianna Bowen with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, was approached by a local science teacher who wanted to incorporate food safety into the classroom science curriculum.

Dianna used Fight BAC materials to develop a program that uses science experiments to teach the core four practices of food safety: clean, separate, cook and chill. Students who participate in the program make hypotheses and test theories while learning home food safety skills.

To teach the “clean” step, Glo Germ powder is used to demonstrate how easily germs spread. To explore cross-contamination, a sponge with colored water is used to represent raw chicken. During the experiment students see the “raw juice” transfer to other surfaces and learn the importance of separation. To demonstrate cooking food to the safe internal temperature using a thermometer, students compare food that has been cooked properly with food that has not. For the final experiment students use thermometers to compare how quickly water cools in shallow and deep containers and learn about the danger zone.

Since she began the program, Dianna has reached more than 1,100 eighth grade students! A more basic version of the program has been taught to fifth graders, and a modified version of the program has been used in Family and Consumer Science classes as well as with adult audiences.

Dianna presented a poster about her program at the October 2019 NEAFCS conference in Hershey, PA.

Thank you to Dianna and the BAC Fighter community for continuing to teach the importance of food safety to students and consumers!

Dianna Bowen is a Family and Consumer Sciences agent with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. She can be reached at (501) 676-3124 or dbowen@uaex.edu.

Submitted by Julia Scott

Campylobacter jejuni is a common foodborne germ that causes illness in 1.3 million people each year in the United States.* During the summer, take action to reduce the risk of food poisoning at your cookout or picnic!

Here’s why your family should avoid this summer “camp”. The symptoms of Campylobacter jejuni include abdominal cramps, diarrhea and fever. These symptoms can last 7 to 10 days! Even more seriously, C. jejuni can be potentially deadly for the elderly, children under age 5, and people whose immune systems are weakened due to illness or medical treatment.

These easy food safety steps will reduce your risk of food poisoning from Campylobacter so you can have a great summer cookout:

• Every safe meal starts with washing hands with soap and water.
• Use a different cutting board for raw poultry and for chopping fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Always wash your cutting board after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next food.
• Do not rinse raw poultry with water before cooking it. This is not a safety step, and it could spread dangerous germs around your kitchen!
• Make sure to cook your poultry to an internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

NEW! Safe Recipe Style Guide
We’ve got delicious recipes that include food safety prompts based on the Safe Recipe Style Guide. The Style Guide is a new tool for recipe developers that helps them build basic safe food handling prompts into recipes.

Check out these safe recipes for Grilled Basil Chicken, Miso-Marinated Short Ribs, and Cantaloupe Gazpacho. Download more recipes that include food safety steps to stay healthy this summer!

Learn more from the CDC about the risks of Campylobacter.

*Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Julia Scott is studying Health Science as an undergraduate at Boston University. She is an intern with PFSE during Summer 2019.

Shelley Feist, executive director of the Partnership for Food Safety Education, is featured in the July/August 2018 issue of Diabetes Forecast magazine. She discusses summer food safety and how to avoid foodborne illness when prepping, cooking, serving and storing your summer favorites. Read an excerpt from the article below.

We’ve all been there: staring at the remains of a summer picnic and wondering exactly how long the food has been sitting out. Surely there’s no harm in having a chicken leg grilled a few hours ago.

“You cannot see, smell, or taste the bacteria that cause foodborne illness,” says Shelley Feist, executive director of the Partnership for Food Safety Education. “Food that is left too long at unsafe temperatures could smell and look just fine but be dangerous to eat.” What’s more, though a few hours can seem like no time at all, the number of bacteria can double in just 20 minutes. That can lead to illness.

While foodborne illness is no picnic for anyone, it’s extra dangerous for people with diabetes. “High blood glucose levels may interact with the body’s natural infection-control defenses, which may put individuals with diabetes at higher risk for contracting foodborne illness,” says registered dietitian Susan Weiner, RD, CDE. They may also take longer to recover from food poisoning and be more likely to be hospitalized with it.

To stay safe in the heat, simple and basic food-safety precautions should be part of everyone’s summer wellness strategy.

Thaw out
If you’re starting with frozen meat, take the proper precautions. “You should never defrost food at room temperature,” says Feist. “Food must always be kept at the safe temperature of 40 degrees or less during thawing.”

The safest place to thaw food without increasing the risk of bacterial growth is in the refrigerator. “Always make sure that meat and poultry thawing in the refrigerator do not leak juices onto other foods,” says Feist. That could lead to cross contamination.

Be a safe server
To avoid food spoilage and illness, perishable food should not be left out at room temperature for longer than two hours. “On very hot days, when the temperature exceeds 90 degrees, food should not be left out for more than one hour,” says Feist.

Store with care
Planning for leftovers? They’re often a source of foodborne illness, but some simple techniques can help keep your food safe long after the party ends.

When it comes to food safety, the faster you store your food, the better. “Cold temperatures slow the growth of harmful bacteria,” says Feist. Keep your refrigerator between 32 and 40 degrees and your freezer at 0 degrees or below. An appliance thermometer can help ensure the temperature is consistently at recommended levels.

When packing away leftovers, take care not to overcrowd your refrigerator or freezer. “Cold air must circulate to help keep food safe, and overcrowding can prevent this,” says Feist.

Read the full article in the July/August 2018 issue of Diabetes Forecast magazine.

Julie Buck, EdD, RDN, University of Idaho Extension

During a power outage, the clock starts ticking on the safety of your perishable foods. If you are aware of approaching high electricity use, summer storm, tornado or hurricane, you can be prepared.

BEFORE: If you are able to prepare in advance, make sure you are using appliance thermometers in your fridge and freezer. Have a cooler or two at the ready, filled with ice or several frozen gel packs. Research where dry ice or block ice are available near you.

DURING: Once the power goes out, be mindful of time and temperature. Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Your refrigerator will hold a safe temperature for about four hours. Your freezer, if packed full, will hold food at a safe temperature for about 48 hours with no power — at half full, the time decreases to 24 hours. Food is safe to refreeze if it still has ice crystals or if the freezer did not rise above 40 °F.

AFTER: When the power is back on, check the temperature inside your freezer and refrigerator by looking at the thermometer. If the temperature is still 0 ⁰F or below for freezer and 40 ⁰F or below for refrigerator, your food should be fine. NEVER taste food to determine its safety. The following foods are safe if held above 40 ⁰F for more than 2 hours: hard cheeses, grated Parmesan cheese, butter or margarine, opened fruit juices, jelly, relish, taco sauce, mustard, ketchup, olives, pickles, and Worcestershire, soy, barbecue and Hoisin sauces, peanut better, opened vinegar-based dressing, bread products, breakfast breads, fruit pies, fresh mushrooms, herbs, spices, uncut raw vegetables and fruit. What you should throw out: meat, poultry or seafood products; soft cheeses and shredded cheeses; milk, cream, yogurt, and other dairy products; opened baby formula; eggs and egg products; dough, cooked pasta; cooked or cut produce.

After a flood, do not eat any food that may have touched flood water. True story: earlier this year bottled peaches were brought into the Bingham County Extension office which survived the 1976 Teton Dam Flood with the jar still sealed! It was properly discarded. Discard food not in waterproof containers; screw-caps, snap lids, pull tops, and crimped tops are not waterproof. Discard cardboard juice/milk/baby formula boxes and home canned foods. Discard any damaged cans that have swelling, leakage, punctures, holes, fractures, extensive deep rusting, or crushing/denting severe enough to prevent normal stacking or opening. Mix a sanitizing solution of 1 Tablespoon unscented bleach with one gallon water to disinfect pots, pans, dishes, utensils, and undamaged all-metal cans after removing the label. Relabel with a permanent marker.

Preparing for disasters in advanced is helpful to provide peace of mind. Knowing how to manage our food supply before, during and after a disaster will be essential to living. For more information contact your local extension office or visit Partnership for Food Safety Education’s website at www.fightbac.org.

Julie Buck, EdD, RDN, is a registered dietitian, and Family and Consumer Sciences educator employed at the University of Idaho Extension, Bingham County. She can be reached at (208) 785-8060 or jhbuck@uidaho.edu.

** Reprinted from Idaho State Journal. **